Passionate, Poised, Confident and Powerfully Succinct
These are some of the words people use to describe a successful TED or TED-Format speaker. It seems easy until you try it. Mastering the TED Format is tremendously powerful whether you ever speak at TED, or not. What if all of your communication was that good?
Over the last decade, as one of the most prolific TED-format coaches in the world I’ve realized something very powerful: To succeed with the 18-minute – or less, free form, TED-talk format demands a very special blend of characteristics.
To create a TED-like talk that truly works, and which is done the way it is meant to be done, requires you to be:
- Succinct – A TED-like talk is 18 minutes or less and the ability to be succinct is like gold! Your talk needs to be well crafted and rhetorically sharp. You’ll need a technical understanding of narrative flow, language, rhetoric, communication, and emotional connection to really land it.
- Vulnerable – You can’t just share how awesome you are, succeeding here takes Insightful Vulnerability™. To truly deliver you must have faced, and faced down, your demons and be able to acknowledge the role they have played in honing you and your ideas.
- Personal – Your message, your leadership, and your contribution is inextricably tied to your own journey and mission; who you are. That requires you to genuinely know and embrace your origin story – which must be well chosen, well crafted and well delivered – your journey, and your personal connection to all of this.
- Authentic – Your talk must be fully aligned with your values, your principles and be delivered in your own personal style. This is a real opportunity to bring a beginner’s mind to your self and dig deep into who you are, what you stand for, and what matters to you. Even if you believe you already know, it will still require something of you.
- Ultra-CLEAR – Finally, to succeed, you must be focused and unequivocal. You will have to wrestle with yourself and utterly clarify what TED calls your “one idea worth spreading.” What changes do you want to affect in the world, and why is that so important to you?
It’s an amazing journey, and very worthwhile. You will need well-chosen, well crafted, and well-delivered stories that flesh out your talk and illuminate your vision.
The bar has been raised and connecting emotionally, being authentic, and sharing yourself powerfully is more important than ever.
If you’d like to hear more you might enjoy my conversation with the exceptionally awesome Dov Baron.
Developing your TED Message @johnbates with @TheDovBaron
Have you considered the immense value it could bring you as a leader if you were able to communicate your message and the message of your organization in a TED Style format?
